“It’s no coincidence that from the day the first Roadster rolled onto the street, it took no more than three years for Nissan to debut the Leaf [its all-electric vehicle] for less than $25,000,” he said. “Certainly the speed with which the Leaf has appeared was directly impacted by Tesla. I mean, if a bunch of Silicon Valley engineering types can put out a car like the Roadster, why can’t the major automotive makers? The answer is, they can, and now they will.”"

GM takes on Nissan in electric car battle: "Less than 10 years ago, many of the world's big automakers killed off their electric vehicle programs, branding them failed experiments. But improved technology, fears of global warming, and renewed public interest have brought the electric car to the verge of a remarkable comeback."